Mop wringer



Dec. 3, 1935.

L. B. GRINGER MOP WRINGER Filed Oct. 24, 1934 Patented Dec. 3, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

This invention relates to mop wringers, and has among its objects the provision of a device of the character described that is adapted to be applied over a pail or like portable container, and which shall permit the use of rollers of maximum length and suitable spacing within the confines of the pail, so that the rollers may terminate substantially within the pail rim both in the full open and closed positions of the mop wringer, and yet permit the rollers to overlie each other in mop wringing position without requiring special frame constructions and with a greater leverage than heretofore available.

Another object of the invention is to furnish a mop wringer adapted to be connected to a pail, said mop wringer being arranged and constructed to receive mops of maximum size, and to assure that Water wrung from the mop will run back into the pail, with the mop wringer being at all times properly balanced on the pail and affording maximum access thereto as for rinsing the mop therein, and the mop wringer being nevertheless secured in simple, relatively stationary relation to the pail and arranged to afford a relatively uniform wringing action on mops of different thicknesses.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a mop wringer having improved parts, such as a floating roller that is self adjusting to varying distribution of the body of the mop; an improved operating handle arranged to avoid unduly projecting parts; and the mop wringer being of simple, inexpensive construction, and

being durable, reliable and efiicient in use.

An important object of the invention is to provide a mop wringer having rollers movable toward and away from each other and an improved stop means to limit the movement of one roller toward the other to prevent binding or cutting of a mop by the rollers.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in View, the invention consists in the novel combinations and arrangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a plan view, with parts removed showing in open position a mop wringer embodying the invention, as applied to a pail shown in dot-dash lines.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the same in closed position, with parts removed. I

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of Fig. 3.

Fig, 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken on line 66 of Fig. 1. 10

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole. 15

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the pre- 20 ferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, l0 denotes a device embodying the invention. The same may include a conventional pail l I having a side wall on the rim l2 of which rests the mop wringer 26 I3. The latter may include a plurality of rollers l4, 15 of any suitable character or material, and being desirably in the nature of metallic, longitudinally grooved elements.

The rollers I4, l5 are operatively mounted in 30 the respective frame members It, I1 which are associated for movement relative to each other in a manner which combines rotational and linear motion so that the rollers may assume improved relationships to each other and to the pail ll. 35 The object to be attained is that the rollers I4, l5 can be made of maximum length within the limits of the pail rim to receive large size mops. In other words, it is not desired that the rollers shall project beyond the pail, as water expressed 40 from the mop may then flow down outside of the pail. Hence the rollers must be brought closer to the center of the pail than was heretofore practical, and yet sufiicient spacing must be maintained between the rollers to permit easy recep- 45 tion of a mop therebetween in the position shown in Fig. 1. Heretofore the rollers had to be kept further apart, than is practical by this invention, in order to permit one roller to be readily swung into operative position over the other roller. By 50 this invention, improved multi-jointed swing means l8 are provided which permit the improved action to occur, and which nevertheless serve to maintain the rollers in reliable coaction for the wringing operation. The swing means are re- 5 tained in relatively rigid relation in the operated position of the wringer, and such relation affords a stop position for the swingable roller I5 which, in conjunction with the yieldably mounted roller I4, affords distinct advantages hereinafter described in detail.

Referring in further detail to the drawing, I6, I I and the joint means I8 cooperate to lie along a bottom plane, determined by the rim I2 so as to evenly seat on the latter. Each member I6, I! may be in the nature of a U or yoke, the members being arranged to form with their intermediate joints I8 a loop or other rugged closed frame structure. The member I6 may be of angular cross section, and may have suitable angularly spaced securing means or clamps I9, 20 for permanently or removably securing said member to the pail wall. For example, the means I9 may have an angular projection 2I, overlying the pail rim, and through the vertical flange 22 of which projection is threaded a screw 23 for clamping the pail wall therebetween and. a downward projecting vertical flange 24 of the frame member I6. The means 20 may have a portion 25 projecting into the pail and a clamp head 26 having the clamp screw 21 to engage the pail wall. If desired, the frame member I6 may have bottom bosses 28 to rest on the pail rim, and thus transmit the weight of the mop wringer to a particular part of the pail.

' The frame member I6 may have upward projecting alined bearings 29, to receive the trunnions 33 of the roller I4, expansion springs 3I in said bearings pressing the trunnions upward p of member I6, and having any suitable alined thereinto.

For swinging the frame member IT, a handle 38may be connected thereto as by a hinge 39 so adapted to abut the frame member to exert a downward pressure thereon in the closed position of the mop wringer as shown in Fig. 3.

Each of the multi joint means may include a link 49 pivotally connected at 4I, 42 with the ends of the respective frame members I6, II. In the open position of the mop wringer, these linlm lie in the plane of the frame members. In the closed position of the mop wringer, the links lie in a generally upright direction, transverse to the frame members I6, I1, and the latter extending generally horizontally in vertically spaced relation to each other.

A feature in the operation of the links 40, is that the same have a stop coaction, for example, with the shoulders 43 provided on the frame member I6, to limit counter clockwise motion of the links, and so as to maintain the rollers I4, I5 in desired relation to each other. Also the links 40 have a stop action with the lever I! at 43a.

Preferably the roller I5 lies above and at the inner side of the roller I4 toward the center of the pail to facilitate return of water into the pail. The stop action at 43a cooperates so that a mere downward pressure on the handle 38 need be exerted, and the rollers will nevertheless be maintained in the association shown in Fig. 5.

Since the roller I5 is relatively close to the pivots 42, a considerable leverage may be exerted on the roller by the handle 38.

Due to the inclined or angular bearing relation between the rollers I4, I5, the thrust of roller I5 against roller I4 need not be wholly taken up by the springs 3| but is transmitted partly to the bearings 29 in a lateral manner.

In operation, the device being open as in Fig. 1, a mop may be inserted into the pail between the rollers and may be rinsed in the water of the pail. Then the handle 38 is grasped and frame I! swung to the position of Fig. 4. Now, while force is exerted on the handle 38, the handle 31 is rotated clockwise. The mop moves upward between the flanges 33, the roller I5 desirably ha'v ing annular end flanges 44 overlying the ends of the roller I4 as an additional guide for the mop.

In the closed position of the device as in Fig. 3, the mop wringer is. suitably balanced by being disposed mainly within the confines of the pail so that the pail cannot be readily accidentally tilted. At the same time, convenient access can be had to the pail as may be required.

It will be noted that in the open position of the mop wringer, the frame structure thereof is free of projections in the region of the links, such as might catch the mop on insertion of the same into the pail.

By this invention mops of large size can be quickly and conveniently manipulated. The body of the mop can be distributed along the sufficient- 1y long rollers I4, I 5 with all expressed water returning to the pail. Should the body of the mop be thicker at one side than at the other, the corresponding end of the roller I4 will be depressed by yielding of the adjacent spring.

One defect overcome by this invention is that the mop will not bind nor be cut by the rollers. In prior devices the operator usually exerted an excessive pressure on the mop, by placing his foot on the handle and imposing substantially his entire weight thereon. This made it difiicult to remove the mop, caused excessive wear thereon by the metal rollers, and where the mop was thin, it would sometimes be cut by the corrugations in the rollers. If the pressure were relieved, the release in pressure might be excessive for satisfactory wringing. According to this invention, these difliculties are overcome, and yet the operator need pay no attention to the particular amount of pressure that he exerts. I-Ie need merely press down hard enough until he feels the stop action, the yielding roller I4 moving downward to prevent excessive pressure on the mop, and the yieldability of this roller consequently acting as a gage for mop pressure. The links 40 directly cooperate to produce the stop action. The stop at 43 is used to prevent the roller I5 from being swung too far over the roller I4, and the stop at 43a is used to limit the swing between the links and the lever I! under pressure. The links also permit a high leverage of the lever I1 and the other advantages hereinbefore pointed out. The

pressure reaction on the trunnions of roller I4 is angular instead of along the path of the springs 31 hence part of the stress is taken up by the bearing directly and part by the spring. Therefore a relatively light spring can be used, and so if the mop is very thick, downward pressure on the spring becomes more direct but the spring being compressed, offers more resistance. Thus a substantial range of mop thicknesses can be used without undue variation in pressure, and without complicating the device. The trunnions of the roller I4 turn counterclockwise or up the incline of the bearing and hence do not increase the pressure on the spring.

It will be appreciated that various changes and modifications may be made in the device as shown in the drawing, and that the same is submitted in an illustrative and not in a limiting sense, the scope of the invention being defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A mop wringer including a plurality of rollers, frame elements for the individual rollers, links interconnecting adjacent ends of the frame elements so that one of the latter is swingable to move its roller toward and away from the companion roller, the swingable frame element constituting a lever, the links having stop association with a frame element to cause the rollers to be maintained in operative mop wringing relation with each other upon exerting a downward pressure on a frame element for causing its roller to move toward the companion roller, with the swingable roller partially overlying the other roller, said frame elements and links being adapted to lie substantially in a plane upon swinging the movable frame element into inoperative position of the wringer, whereby the leverage of the mop wringer is increased and the same is relatively free of any upward projecting parts in the open unoperated position of the wringer.

2. A mop wringer including a plurality of rollers, frame elements for the individual rollers, links interconnecting adjacent ends of the frame eleto move toward the companion roller, with the swingable roller partially overlying the, other roller, said. frame elements and links being adapted tolie substantially in a plane upon swinging the movable frame element into inoperative position of the wringer, whereby the leverage of the mop wringer is increased and the same is relatively free of any upward projecting parts in the open unoperated position of the wringer.

3. A mop wringer including stationary and movable frame elements swingably interconnected at one end, rollers mounted on the frame elements and relatively movable thereby toward and away from each other into operative and inoperative positions, the stationary frame element having means spaced from said end for connecting the same to an adjacent wall portion of a pail, the swingable frame element having a handle at an end thereof opposite to that of the swingable interconnection, and means mounting said handle to swing downwardly relatively to its frame element to depend relatively closely alongside of a different wall portion of the pail in the inoperative position of the mo-p wringer, and said handle having a shoulder adapted to abut the swingable frame element to prevent downward movement of the handle in the operative position of the swingable frame element, to cause the handle to extend outwardly over the stationary frame element and said adjacent portion of the pail so that the handle can be downwardly actuated to exert pressure on the mop wringer.

LOUIS B. GRINGER. 

